Making sure your business is fitted with the correct and legal fire equipment is the first step to protecting yourself and your employees but it doesn’t just stop there
Employers have a legal responsibility to ensure extinguishers are serviced once a year by a competent person, so McL Fire’s qualified service technicians can inspect and service your firefighting equipment, adhering to all local standards, while guaranteeing to provide a transparent, customer-focused and reliable service.
Putting valuable time into the inspection and maintenance of your fire extinguishers could mean the difference between life and death if the need to tackle a fire arises. Because they’re often sat unused for so many years, fire extinguishers may be likely to rust and weaken and there’s always an additional risk that someone may tamper with the unit, rendering it useless if it is ever needed. Professional servicing and maintenance is integral for any fire protection equipment. While it’s not down to you as the business owner to carry out these checks, it is your responsibility to arrange regular servicing from a qualified professional.
All types of fire extinguishers should undergo a basic service by a BAFE-approved company for peace of mind they’ve been inspected by a certified engineer. Legislation requires that you are responsible for using a competent person to maintain your equipment. It should be done once a year and meet standards required under BS 5306-3: 2017.
When an MCL service technicians is servicing your site this is what you should expect..
The annual service involves a thorough inspection of the extinguisher for corrosion or discharge. Further checks and other factors that may compromise the safety or performance of the unit include (but aren’t limited to)
– Whether the unit is in visibly good condition and ascertaining if it has been tampered with
– Weight and pressure monitoring
– Making sure the instruction label is legible
– Operating the pull pin to confirm it’s working as it should
– Ensuring the hose is free from obstruction and working efficiently
What to look our for as a business owner…
While a thorough inspection is carried out annually by a trained professional, you shouldn’t simply ignore your extinguishers for the rest of the year. Visually check over all fire extinguishers at least once a month in an attempt to spot early indicators of wear and tear. Make doubly sure that each extinguisher is correctly in its designated place and that it’s visible and easy to access.
If you would to contact MCL about the fitting or servicing of a fire Extinguisher please contact us on 028 9030 1752
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